There’s little that I love more than a video essay online that teaches me either more about something I am already interested in or completely breaks down something that I have no familiarity with in an interesting way. It’s been just about a year since I last recommended some video essays to you all, so I’m back with more that I’ve collected over the year so that you can go an enhance your brain. (Warning: Some videos may contain strong language or adult content.)
Exploring the Wild World of DDR Controlers (~25 minutes)
I don’t have much of a knowledge of Dance Dance Revolution beyond the bare basics of how to play it, but I know that there are some people who are downright devoted to this full body rhythm game. I didn’t know just how deep that could run, though, which is why this video breaking down just how complicated and expensive some of the methods of playing can get is downright fascinating. Even if you’re no enthusiast yourself, this is a cool way to learn about a niche gaming subject.
The Fall of 76 (~25 minutes)
Internet Historian is a very tongue in cheek content creator, but is also someone who is capable of telling the story of a subject in a highly compelling way. This video looking into the way things feel apart around the game Fallout 76 is not only a great way to look back at just how poorly that launch and its aftermath went, but to have a good round of laughs along the way as well.
The Engoodening of No Man’s Sky (~50 minutes)
Perhaps it’s best to view this one as a companion to the Fallout 76 video that Internet Historian also did. It’s very similar, just looking into No Man’s Sky this time. However, it’s evident just how much storytelling can change your perspective on a situation. This was the video that made me more sympathetic to the team behind that game and showed me just how much effort was put into cleaning up that mess in the aftermath. Fan or no, forgiving or not, this is one that is worth a watch.
They Make you SLICE OFF you SISTER’S FACE and WEAR IT?? | Martha is Dead Review (1 hour, 20 minutes)
Many of you may or may not remember the brief flareup of controversy that surrounded the game Martha is Dead when Sony insisted that there be alterations made to censor the game on their platform. How many of you actually played it though? Well, if you didn’t and still want to know what was in there, then this is the video for you. So much of MertKayKay’s work is really excellent, but this is one of my favorites as it takes a really in depth look at the game and where is fails to really convey the themes that it was trying to grapple.
Breath of the Wild Fixed Stamina, It’s Perfect now, We Did It (~20 minutes)
UI is something that we tend not to think too much about, but it’s something that I pay way more attention to now thanks to this wonderful video from Afterthoughts. Breath of the Wild is maligned for many things, but Afterthoughts is right in pointing out that the UI design behind the stamina wheel is a stoke of genius.
Why Danganronpa is a Classic (2 hours, 20 minutes)
If you like long retrospectives like I do, then NezumiVA has got you covered, walking through the entire narratives of games to break down the good and the bad of them. Let’s be clear that this channel gets a blanket recommendation from me, but I do have to choose just one video for this list and I don’t feel right recommending the Ace Attorney series retrospective since it’s not finished yet. So instead, I’ll recommend the first video in their retrospective of Danganronpa.
The Hitman Retrospective Anthology Definitive Edition (2 hours, 50 minutes)
Do you love retrospective on full series? Cvit has you covered for that. Hitman is a series that I never played myself, but this video going through the entire series had me hooked in curiosity the whole time. It’s a fascinating look at the way gameplay evolved in this series, both because of fan feedback and in spite of it.
A Brief Review of the Handheld Zelda Games (3 hours, 25 minutes)
KingK makes beautiful retrospectives and you could really start with any of them to get a feel for his content, but given that there is currently a new Zelda game out, I think that his most recent video breaking down the changes and growth of Zelda games on handheld systems is a wonderful one that’s worth taking a look at. It’s another that had me entranced for the whole runtime.